1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental equipment stand with an adjustable multi-component carrying arm for a dental mounting component, wherein the carrying arm consists of two hingedly interconnected pivot arms, of which the first pivot arm is arranged to be pivotable about a pivot bearing at the end remote from the second pivot arm so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, and wherein the pivot bearing is, in turn, supported in a carrying component so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and in which the second pivot arm at its free end supports the mounting component.
The mounting component which is arranged at the free end of the second pivot arm so as to be pivotable can, for example, be a holder for dental instruments, a repository plate with, possibly, a holder located thereon for dental instruments, or the like. The carrying component which includes the pivot bearing can be arranged stationarily or movably on the floor or, for example, as a console on the wall, on the ceiling or on a professional furniture piece, for instance, on a cabinet or on a writing desk. It is also purposeful when the carrying component, together with the dental treatment chair, are arranged so as to be adjustable in height.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In an equipment stand of this type which is described in the sales brochure "Type 101 cc and 102 cc", issued by the firm A/S Flex Dental, the rear or the lower of two linked articulated pivot arms representing linkage parallelograms are pivotably supported on a pivot bearing of a switch-and equipment housing which rests on the floor. In order to be able to bring the repository plate which forms the mounting component for the treating dentist, which is arranged at the free end of the carrying arm, into the correct position in proximity to the patient, in the known equipment stands for the carrying arm there is required a relatively large number, for example, six hinged joints. Independent of the fact that such a carrying arm is extremely complex and thereby expensive, it is difficult to manipulate by hand from the repository plate, inasmuch as due to the numerous hinged joints the current position of the pivot arms is overcompensated for and, therefore, it is not predictable which position the pivot arms will assume during and after a change in the location of the repository plate. As a result, for the pivot arms there is required a wide, and its scope not predictable, range of action. In addition thereto, in that during the movement of the repository plate there will be set constantly varying lengths of the lever arm, so that the forces which are also required for the movement of the plate will continually change in magnitude and direction. Since a large number of joints are present on the carrying arm, and all supply conduits which are located in hoses must pass through these joints, the hoses are subjected to considerable wear due to buckling and friction.